(November 20, 2021 at 5:47 am)Belacqua Wrote: The writers of the Bible didn’t intend every sentence to be read literally. That’s not how myths or parables work. The idea that it should all be read 100% literally is a new thing, based on ignorance. But even people who say they read it all literally don’t live up to that. When Jesus is talking about not throwing your seeds on stony ground, for example, everyone knows he isn’t giving agricultural advice. Both Jesus and Paul recount stories from the Old Testament and interpret them as allegory, not literally.
I believe that the writers intended that their message be taken as true. That message may have been history, a moral, a commandment, a prophesy, an insight into the nature of God, or a combination.
It doesn't matter if a story is history or myth - what matters is if the message is meant to be taken as true -- and yes it is.
A bible believer has to believe that the writers were "inspired" by God to give a true message. If they are not conveying a true message, then the bible is nothing more than a book of philosophical musings and delusional writings.
I say this as a former Christian someone who read the whole bible and chose to believe it.
The need to cherry-pick which messages are true and which aren't invalidate the bible as the Word of God. There still might be a god, but these writers didn't know anything about It.
